Cavaliers: C.J. Miles picking up his game

Cleveland Cavaliers guard C.J. Miles reacts as he heads to a timeout with only seconds remaining in the fourth quarter in an NBA basketball game against the Denver Nuggets in Denver, Friday, Jan. 17, 2014. The Cavaliers won 117-109. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Newly acquired forward Luol Deng is being credited league-wide for solidifying the Cavaliers’ lineup.
Deng, who on Monday will play his first game at home since the Jan. 7 trade with Chicago, has been a major influence on the team’s mini-turnaround.
In many ways, though, the play of shooting guard C.J. Miles has also impacted their recent surge.
The Cavs come into the 1p.m. game against Dallas (24-18) having won four of their last six games. Included in that streak was a 3-2 West Coast trip.
The 6-foot-6, 231-pound Miles has averaged 16.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.1 steals in nine games in January. Miles is shooting 51.5 percent from the field (50 of 97) and 54.2 percent from beyond the arc (26 of 48).
The five-game homestand is the longest of the season.
“I’m just being aggressive and playing off the guys, and they’re doing a good job of making the plays and being aggressive themselves,” Miles said after Sunday’s practice. “(That) allows me to find open spots. It didn’t take too long to figure out (Deng) because he’s a good basketball player and he knows how to play.
“I think I’m just finding open spots and mixing it up well enough where I’m not just shooting 3-pointers. I’ve been able to get to the free-throw line during the stretch. I’ve been able to do a little bit of everything. Defensively, I’ve been able to get steals and deflections and rebounds to get out on the break, which allows me to have a nice rhythm to the game.”
Miles said he has an expanded role as of late. Instead of being strictly a catch-and-shoot player, he’s been able to create a bit on offense. He also loves the pace at which the Cavs (15-25) are playing, which has helped open up the floor.
“It allows us to get up and down the floor, and there are just so many openings,” Miles said. “The freedom that Coach (Mike Brown) is giving me to handle the ball, it takes pressure off Kyrie. It allows me to play with the ball in my hands a little bit more instead of waiting for jump shots. It allows me to be a threat more so throughout the game.”
On the season, Miles is averaging 10.3 points and 2.3 rebounds. He was slowed by a strained calf muscle earlier in the season, but has hit his stride.
“They give me a little bit more of a role to put the ball in my hands more because (previously) I was coming off the bench as a sixth man,” Miles said. “Being one of the primary ball handlers, it allowed me to do that. It gave me different looks, just being a guy who could space the floor.
“It allowed me to find different ways to be effective. The reason why I’ve shot so well from the outside is because I haven’t had to be dependent upon it. I’ve been able to get open shots and be in a rhythm and not check the shot clock and things like that. That’s been beneficial to me.”
Now, with the five games at home, they have a chance to move into serious contention in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
“If you win six in a row, the whole conference changes,” Miles said. “(You might be in) the top three or four.
“We haven’t even reached the All-Star break yet, and we’ve (taken) so many different routes. Now, it seems like we’re finally putting things together and headed the right direction. Of course, you hear that a couple times during the year, but it’s about staying the course.”
The Cavs are two games behind No. 8 Brooklyn in the East playoff race.
“Every other team out there, too, thinks they have a chance,” Brown said. “The East records are not very good. At no point did I think we were out of it.
“If we can string a few games together, we’re right in the mix.”
The Cavs have been getting the right mix on the court, too. They’ve received consistent scoring from a number of sources. Teams can no longer concentrate solely on All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving.
“We were pretty well-balanced on the trip,” Miles said. “(We had) a lot of guys in double figures (in scoring). A couple times (we had) four or five guys — starters and two guys off the bench — in double figures. It’s hard to guard when you’ve got guys who can do things like that.
“Then, when it’s time for Kyrie to put his cape on, they’ve got to pick their poison.”
Miles admits he gets amped for playing against the Mavericks, his hometown team.
“Yeah, it’s (for) bragging rights a little bit,” he said. “I think everybody likes to play their home team. It’s more for barbershop talk than anything else. That’s the biggest thing. And you know your whole family’s going to get to see it because their team is going to broadcast it. It’s fun to be able to do (well) in front of your hometown.”
Brown can’t allow himself to look at the big picture. He’s aware the Cavs play their next five games at home, but the focus has to be on the Mavs.
After a long road trip, teams return home and get beat up.
“I challenged the guys today,” he said. “We play a very good Dallas team that’s very capable. I’m looking forward to seeing how we take on the challenge.”Quick shots
-- Starters for the NBA All-Star Game will be announced Thursday on TNT. Irving is expected to start in the backcourt, along with Miami’s Dwyane Wade. Deng might have an outside shot as a reserve, but teams 10 games under .500 don’t usually get two players on the All-Star team.
-- Brown went to Indianapolis on Saturday to see Butler’s upset of Marquette. His son, Elijah, is a guard for the Bulldogs.
-- Rookie guard Carrick Felix has remained with the Canton Charge in the National Basketball Development League. There’s no plan for forward Anthony Bennett to join him. “Any time anyone can play extended minutes, it would be good,” Brown said. “It also helps him to go through what we’re doing here on a daily basis. He’s a big part of our future.”
-- Miles will be an unrestricted free agent after this season. The Cavs should explore re-signing him.

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Bob has covered the Cavs for The News-Herald and Morning Journal since 1995. He's a graduate of Kent State University and New Philadelphia High School. Reach the author at rfinnan@morningjournal.com
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